Market Statistics:  Buying and Selling Homes in Dove Mountain, Marana Dove Mountain, located off Tangerine Road in northern Marana, is an interesting mix of homes.  From the very affordable to the very elite, there really seems to be something for everyone in this master-planned community. Golf courses wind themselves among the diverse housing settlements, and mountain vistas are available to all.  The community is served by the Marana Unifed School district and nearby is the luxurious Ritz Carlton.  Shopping, groceries, and other amenities are all within minutes of this private, yet accessible part of Marana. Currently, 231 homes show activity in Dove Mountain, Marana, on our local MLS for the Tucson area.  111 are active and for sale, and 87 are sold.  Distressed property opportunitie... 09/23/2011

Market Statistics:  Buying and Selling Homes in Gladden Farms, Marana September 2011 (Last report April 2011) 124 homes listed on MLS as ACTIVE, ACTIVE CONTINGENT, ACTIVE CAPA, PENDING, and SOLD At posting time, 20 homes are ACTIVE and for sale in Marana (Tucson) AZ, down from 31 8 of the 20 available homes are new construction  In the last six months, 67 homes have sold versus 60 during a six month period prior to April, 2011 ACTIVE listings are priced from $106,000 for 1251 sqft to $234,900 for 5 bedrooms and 2880 sqft, averaging a list price of $80.27 a sq. foot.  This is up from April's price of $79.57 SOLD listings are selling for $69.70 a sq. foot, so on average they are selling significantly lower than they are currently priced.  The median home price during the past six months i... 09/18/2011

Market Statistics:  Buying and Selling Homes in San Lucas, Marana Last April, I shared a post about the current conditions in San Lucas Community, a nice little "neighborhood" along Interstate 10 on your way north from downtown Tucson.  Most of the homes were built in 2007 or later, so it's a great "newer" community to investigate. San Lucas sits nestled beneath a backdrop of the Tortolita Mountains and is surrounded by natural desert vistas.  Nearby is the growing business area of the Marana Town Hall and Municipal buildings, as well as the Marana Health Center, parks, library, and a few shopping and restaurant offerings.  Commercial pads are available and the area is optimistic that this growing district will soon hold a lovely assortment of retail ventures. New construction is rampan... 09/18/2011

A Festival Day for your "Honey" in Marana:  Marana Heritage Farm   The Marana Heritage Park and Farm sits along Tangerine Farms Road west of I-10, just across the street from Gladden Farms.  Access to the Santa Cruz River Park is available, and the Farm grows produce for the Marana Community Food Bank as well. Recently, the Marana Heritage Farm made news with the contest Communities Take Root.  Dreyer's sponsored a national voting contest and communties with the most votes won a fruit orchard.  I'm happy to see my daily voting helped to put the Marana Communty Food Bank's Heritage Farm in second place!  The top five all received orchards. On September 24, 2011, The Marana Heritage Farm is having a honey of a day with their "Honey Mesquite Festival".  It sounds like a great time with ent... 09/14/2011

Dancin' in the Rain - Storm Cell Moves through Tucson and Marana The power went out again this weekend for a few hours and it's always fun to take a little walk and see how many folks come out of their homes.  In the peak temperaturs of summer, I swear it's the only time you see families come outside! It's a master-planned community, so all water runoff drains lead to these lovely greenbelts with grass, paved pathways, play areas and exercise facilities.  Kids and adults alike were running barefoot through the warm water.  After a monsoon storm, everything looks greener, brighter...new.  Even REO properties! If you're interested in a deal of a home in Gladden Farms and other nearby areas in Marana AZ - check out this link for REO buying opportunities in the area.  Marana REO Properties ... 09/12/2011

Saguaro Bloom Replaces Saguaro Springs in West Marana You may know the empty subdivision as Saguaro Springs, or you may have read the Tucson Citizen and know it's now called Saguaro Bloom, but no matter what you call it, residents and travelers west of Marana know it's a barren square mile enclosed by block walls, infrastructure, and a tumbleweed or two... Not 5 minutes west of I-10 and Twin Peaks, Saguaro Bloom is located just past Rattlesnake Pass at the NW tip of the Tucson Mountains, centered between Avra Valley Road and Lambert.  It's sat empty since 2005. KB homes tore down their model home sites and the place was fenced off - sort of a lonely reminder of the real estate recession here in Tucson. But things are picking up.  A Scottsdale based development company has taken over, an... 08/29/2011

Active Adult Community Living In Marana, AZ - Continental Ranch Sunflower If you're contemplating retiring and are viewing your Tucson and Marana AZ options, don't miss the lovely Continental Ranch Active-Adult Community known as Sunflower!  Take the Twin Peaks exit off I-10 freeway as you travel north from Tucson, it's about 3 minutes to the west! This is an area of 967 homes nestled in the very end of the Tucson Mountains heading NW from Tucson, AZ, in the shadow of Safford Peak.  All of the homes have 2-3 bedrooms and attached, 2-car garages.  Prices are affordable and start at $135,000 for active homes for sale in Continental Ranch Sunflower. Amenities are generous, and include lighted tennis courts, fitness center, heated pool, spa, clubhouse with computers, game rooms and resident... 08/27/2011

Good News for Sellers - Real Estate Recovery In Dove Mountain, Marana AZ The master-planned community of Dove Mountain shows signs of real estate market recovery!  Sellers are experiencing an average sale time of 30 days less than 6 months ago, and the overall median sales price has actually increased by approximately 2% in value.   Dove Mountain in Marana, AZ, is a lovely and complex community with the Tortolita Mountains as a framing backdrop in the northwest metropolitan boundaries of Tucson. Travel west on the Tangerine Exit from I-10 and at the top of the hill, turn left/north on Dove Mountain Blvd.  Subdivisions branch off the main blvd. from east and west, and gated access neighborhoods populate most of the residential areas as you drive further North into the master-planned comm... 08/22/2011

Nearby Restaurants in "Rural" Marana, or, Where to Eat in Ten Minutes! Folks living in San Lucas, Gladden Farms, or Rancho Marana can sometimes feel like they are out in the middle of nowhere.  And when you're HUNGRY, that distance seems magnified. However, you'd be surprised at the dining choices within 10 miles, including: Culvers The Sky Rider Cafe In-n-Out Burger Papa Murphy's Pizza Rock n Java You can view area reviews of Restaurants in Marana here. The blessings of rural life can be experienced in Marana, AZ, and it's only about ten minutes from most anything.  With suburban crawl and new construction, I wonder how many years until the sight of a tractor won't greet us on our way home. If you're interested in living away from it all, give a Marana neighbor a call.  I'm happy to sh... 08/21/2011

Real Estate Recovery In Gladden Farms, Marana - Pulte New Home Construction Real Estate Recovery is looking up in Gladden Farms, a Master-planned community located within NW Marana, just minutes from Tucson, AZ.   Pulte Homes has purchased all the vacant lots in Gladden Farms and is currently constructing several homes from which to choose, starting as low as $169,900.     Gladden Farms is a community established in 2005 with miles of walking paths, acres of greenways and community parks, and lots of fun and exciting neighborhood playgrounds.     Nearby the Community Park offers little league fields, soccer, restrooms, shaded play areas, picnic areas and access to the Juan Bautista de Anza National Trailway.     Check out the Pulte homes under construction or waiting for your specificat... 08/20/2011

Marana Unified School District has been underway for one week now, and the new schedule is quite an adjustment. My two high-schoolers don’t start their day until 8:55 a.m.  That means they get home about 4:30 each day, and once the extra-curricular activities begin, well – we’ll be having our family dinners the "French" way, close to 8 p.m.  Big changes indeed!  I wonder if this schedule will be a permanent change. If you’re in the middle of moving to Marana, you’ll want more information on the Marana Unified School District calendar and schedule times.  Check the links here for more information: You can get information on the new 2011-2012 school calendar and schedule times here.   If you need to see a boundary map for the different schools in the Marana Unified School District - you c... 08/18/2011

Marana Championship Rodeo at the Western Heritage Arena August 19, 2011 It's Rodeo time again in Marana!  This Friday, August 19, 2011, the Championship Rodeo at the Western Heritage Arena is taking place starting at 7:00 p.m.  The grounds are located on the frontage road along I-10 heading north from Tucson, between Barnett and Grier Roads.  Take the Marana Road exit and turn south along the west side of the freeway.  You can't miss it! Prices make it family affordable, with tickets at $5.00 for adults and kids under 12 are free!  Events include barrel racing, calf roping, team roping, bull riding and more! The Rodeo events are organized by the Town of Marana Western Heritage Committee.  I love their mission statement: "To promote a western way of life and allowing opportunities to peo... 08/17/2011

Gladden Farms in Marana, AZ – Hints of Real Estate Recovery in Market Statistics for May -  July 2011 84 Homes in Gladden Farms are the focus of this month's market analysis for the Marana neighborhood, just minutes north of Tucson, AZ.  Inventory is down from April, when 128 homes were actively listed.  That’s good news for the home sellers in this area, and hints at Real Estate Recovery for this area. 21 homes are currently ACTIVE and for sale in Marana (Tucson) AZ.  Of those ACTIVE, 8 of the 21 are NEW CONSTRUCTION Currently there are 8 homes ACTIVE CAPA - meaning the owners would like a better offer and are still accepting contract offers 15 homes are ACTIVE contingent with accepted contracts and are going through Escrow 6 are PENDING close of escrow, with all contingencies fulfille... 07/29/2011

Just a quick note, most of Marana is eligible for the USDA residential mortgage financing program that enables low to moderate income buyers to qualify for 100% plus mortgage financing.  Depending on the home value, buyers who qualify can get enough to cover the purchase price plus most closing costs. Rates are very competitive with conventional loans. Alternatively there is the Pima County Industrial Development Bond program that requires a very low down payment and the interest rate is a little lower than conventional loans.  In fact, the authority recently reduced their rates.  Like all mortgage programs, this program needs to be reviewed carefully to see if it best suits a buyer's goals.  in this case, there is the potential for a recapture tax if the property is sold within certain... 07/28/2011

Homes for Sale in the Marana School District Before you know it, it's going to be back to school time.  Marana is located about 16 miles NW of downtown Tucson and encompasses 550 square miles.  It is one of the largest school districts in Arizona. The Marana Unified School District begins their 2011-2012 School Year on August 8, 2011.  If you're looking for a home in the Marana School District - you've no time to waste! You can search for Marana Homes for Sale here. You can get information on the new 2011-2012 school calendar and schedule times here.  Big changes are ahead - Marana High School starts their day at 8:55 a.m.! If you need to see a boundary map for the different schools in the Marana Unified School District - you can find the links here. No matter your needs, call a neighbo... 07/05/2011

Your Marana Resource "Encyclopedia" at a Click! Moving to NW Tucson or the Marana Area and have questions about where to find information, things to do, or need public resources and utilty information? Look no further! I've tried to compile as many resources for the Marana area as I could for the residents and prospective home owners in this area of the Tucson metropolitan area.   Area Resources Town of Marana     City Hall, Employment, Government, Ordinances, Minutes Local Marana Business Directory     Business, Restaurants, Services, Reviews Marana Unified School District     Area Schools, Contact Information, Lunch Program Marana Hotel and Motel Guide     Planning a visit? Marana Map     Google your way around the area! Marana Weather    Up to the minute Weather Guide Marana Photogra... 06/24/2011

Rock n Java and Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed - Things to do in Marana, AZ Great coffee and Comedy - it hardly gets any better!  Rock n Java is a Marana coffeehouse, located at 7555 Twin Peaks Rd., Marana, AZ (just east of the intersection of Coachline Rd. & Twin Peaks Rd.)  They sponsor events and parties in their back meeting room, with local musicians, school groups, and now every third Friday, the Tucson improv group known as "Not Burnt Out, Just Unscrewed".  It's a cozy little coffee house with WiFi, pastries, smoothies and Italian sodas.  They are open 7 days a week and you can see their menus and hours on their Rock n Java website. Last night we took the teenagers and ourselves out for a family night of free entertainment, got ourselves a few sodas, treats and chips, and settled d... 06/18/2011

Real Estate Really Ought to be "Fun" I love real estate.  I find it fascinating.  The people are diverse and interesting.  I can go on and on with my lists.  But imagine, for instance, working with the home-buyer: First of all - I'm caught up in YOUR excitement.  Together we've found a home that you love, you can afford, and we're moving forward into escrow.  This is just pretty amazing to me, and one of the biggest joys of my job. Sure, I get paid for it - but does a professional golfer/bowler/gambler/athlete apologize for loving what they do, along with the fact that it brings them a living?  How about the food critic, the singer, the dancer... So many professions, so many choices.  I made a choice to become a real estate agent because...well, I love looking at houses!  I love helping... 06/15/2011

The Wondrous Art of Marana, AZ When I was "out and about" this week in Marana, my eye was caught by the little bits of ART here and there in the growing community of Marana, AZ.  Here's a sampling of just a few bright spots found by my camera!This first photo shows a lovely mosaic sign for the Marana Parks and Rec. This sculpture is found at the southeast corner of the City Hall lot, entitled "Panorama".  It was completed by Susan Furini Driving along Silverbell, approaching the newer Crossroads at Silverbell District Park at Marana, I noticed every placard was unique.     This is one of my favorites - a "word sculpture" adorning the entrance to the Wheeler Taft Abbett, Sr. Library.  It's called "Wondrous" and is a folded panel of galvanized steel.  At night it lights up with intense co... 06/12/2011

Dove Mountain - Buying a New Home in Marana, AZ Are you interested in buying a home in Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ? Dove Mountain is a complex community nestled in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains to the northwest of Tucson, in Marana, AZ. From I-10 and Tangerine, go west.  At the top of the hill, go north on Dove Mountain Blvd.  Subdivisions branch from east and west, and gated access populate most of the residential areas as you drive further into the master-planned community. It is a diverse neighborhood with several subdivisions -- gated, luxury, retirement, and general homes with all pricing indexes. Surrounding these homes, four golf courses sprawl throughout the region adding verdant greens with mountain vista backdrops. Golfers can enjoy gorgeous greens and fairways of eve... 06/10/2011